Get lower prices – on stuff you’ve already bought

For some people, shopping is fun. Finding deals is even better. Even if you’re not a big believer in retail therapy, you feel a certain satisfaction when you finally locate and purchase a pair of pants that actually fits, right?

Until the same pants go on sale the next week. Then those trousers that seemed like a good deal at $40 feel like a rip-off. If only you’d waited! You could have had them for $25! Now your new pants are tainted, and you’ll stew over that $15 every time you wear them.

Don’t fret. You can get that money back. Here’s how.

The direct approach

If you see that the price on a recent purchase has been lowered, go directly to the retailer. Many large retailers – such as Target, Kohl’s, Macy’s, Wal-Mart and Best Buy – will honor price adjustments if you have a printed receipt or online order number. Most stores will match a competitor’s prices before you buy, but only their own afterward. Target is an exception: They’ll match other stores’ prices for two weeks after purchase.

If you booked a hotel room and saw the price go down, call the hotel and ask to have your bill adjusted to the lower rate. Or, if you won’t face fees, you can cancel your reservation and book again.

The plastic approach

Some credit cards – not all – offer another option called price protection. If your card has price protection, you’ll have to do a little legwork to use it. You’ll probably have to register items after you buy them with your card, then fill out a form after any price drop to get the difference back. Discover customers can receive up to $500 back on items, while Citi’s Price Rewind searches online sites for you in search of lowered prices.

Price protection involves a lot of fine print. You usually have to initiate the process within 60 days, but sometimes you get 90. Get ready for exclusions galore, too. To help you navigate the waters, NerdWallet has a handy breakdown of cards and their price protection features.

The app approach

It sure would be nice if you could scour stores for lower prices without wasting a bunch of time and developing carpal tunnel. Luckily, this is 2017 and there’s an app for that.

It’s called Paribus. Here’s how it works.

After you sign up using your email and your established online shopping accounts, Paribus’ clever little e-detectives scan and monitor your incoming receipts looking for any money that was left on the table. Paribus doesn’t just look for lowered prices and sales. It even knows whether you’ve missed a coupon.

For every discrepancy found, Paribus can submit a claim on your behalf. Then, the money you’re owed, minus a 25 percent commission – goes back into your shopping account.

Paribus involves the least amount of hassle, but it only works on online buys. Everything else requires you to pay close attention to sales and fill out some tiresome forms. But when it comes to bigger purchases, you could be looking at real money. So keep your eyes peeled, and never feel ashamed for demanding the best price.

 

 

 

 

7 Ways to Save $2,000 for Your Summer Vacation

The best vacations are debt-free. Here’s how to save for one.

Sometimes, you need a real vacation. Not just a weekend camping at the lake or a road trip to Grandma’s cabin – a real getaway. It can be hard to justify a spendy trip when you have to save for retirement or pay off student loans, but with a nip here and a tuck there, you can remake your budget without too much pain. And at the end, with the worries of home far away, you’ll be glad you did.

Make a budget.

Sit down with everyone who’s going on the trip and figure out everyone’s priorities. Take into account transportation, lodging and food, of course – but don’t stop there. Familiarize everyone with your destination’s main attractions. You don’t want to get all the way there before you find out those aquarium tickets are $75 at the door and it’s the only reason Aunt Sally wanted to go.

Use your tax refund to start a savings account.

Most American families get more than $1,000 back from the federal government every year. Instead of blowing that money, start a separate account devoted to vacation savings. You’ll have fun watching it grow while you get excited for your trip.

Change your direct deposit.

Yeah, it can be a pain, but take the time to fill out a new direct deposit form with your employer. Socking away $50 to $100 from every paycheck into your new vacation savings account will add up fast.

Side note: If your tax refund was huge, you might be able to offset the effect of saving more by just altering your withholding. A giant refund means you’ve been giving the government an interest-free loan.

Make up for that extra savings.

The idea of a vacation fund is that you don’t have to loot it for funds. So you’ll have to make some sacrifices. You might consider a monthlong spending freeze, where you don’t spend on anything except necessities like food and gas. Get tips on weathering a freeze here.

Meal planning is another good way to save. If you look at how much you spend on food every month, you might be shocked. So eliminate those takeout lunches and pizza deliveries for a while. Dust off your cookbooks, examine your pantry, and make a plan every week before grocery shopping. You’ll save a ton, and you might even look better in your swimsuit when it’s time to hit the beach.

Get everyone involved with earning and saving.

If you’re taking kids or teens on your jaunt, tell them their souvenir and shopping budget for the trip is their responsibility. They can mow the lawn, babysit, organize the garage – all the stuff they got paid for before, only now that cash goes into the vacation fund.

Don’t underestimate how much money you could earn by having a garage sale or putting outgrown toys and furniture up for sale online, either. You’ll just be freeing up more space for vacation memories.

Use the right credit card.

If you’re flying to your dream destination, consider a credit card with a rewards program that pays off in airline miles. Use the card to buy gas and groceries, then pay it off every month while the miles rack up. Just make sure you can use those miles when you actually want to – and that the affiliated carriers go where you want to go.

Book in advance.

This vacation is happening, right? So book it. You’ll get better deals on airfare, hotels and tickets to big attractions like museums. Sometimes, getting early passes to theme parks lets you cruise past long lines like a VIP. And forgetting to pre-book tickets to some in-demand attractions means you just won’t get to go.

The fastest and best way to pay off big credit card debt

What’s the best way to pay down a large credit card balance as quickly as possible? All while paying the least amount of interest and not hurting your credit? Glad you asked.

First, understand that the sooner you pay down the principal, the sooner you erase debt. For example, if you owe $10,000 on a credit card and pay $200 a month, $150 of your payment goes toward paying interest. Only $50 goes toward paying down the $10,000 principal (based on an annual APR of 18%).

At this rate, it would take 94 months to pay off your debt, while costing you a whopping $8,622 in interest! That’s an uphill battle everyone should avoid.

Luckily, credit card companies, competing with one another, actually make it easy for consumers. By simply leveraging their special introductory rate programs, you can be on your way to paying down that 10K in no time.

Find a new credit card offer with a zero percent introductory balance transfer – one of the best deals in personal finance. Many banks offer these cards, which today are the strongest promos and longest zero percent APR intro periods since before the 2008 financial crisis. So, apply for one of these cards. Once you’re approved, immediately transfer all your credit card debt to the new card.

Need help finding an offer? Here’s a list of zero percent APR credit cards (with terms).

Once you’ve transferred your balances, it’s time to capitalize on the interest-free period to really break free of debt. And it’s so simple. Just keep paying the same amount you were paying your old high-interest card, only now to the new no-interest card. Now you’re paying off principal at 100 percent.

Pay attention to the terms because once the introductory period is over (typically 12-18 months) the interest rate could actually be higher than your original card. Use this period to pay down as much of your debt as possible.

Stop getting crushed on interest. And start planning that going-away party for your debt. Move your high-interest balances to a zero percent interest card now.

Your wedding can be beautiful on a smaller budget

Planning a wedding can be equal parts maddening and intoxicating. The possibilities are endless – and gorgeous, when you start looking at décor and dresses and flowers …

It’s easy to see how things can get out of hand. But it’s just not a good idea to go deep into debt for one weekend’s worth of celebration. After those initial conversations about who’s going to pay and how much, you can set a budget and start figuring out what’s truly important to you and what your guests will really remember.

Just a few areas where you might encounter sticker shock (and how to prevent it):

The venue: Can you believe that some places charge up to $30,000 to get married there? That’s a down payment on a house. Or a car. Or two cars.

There’s no rule that says you have to get married in a church and have your reception in an event hall. Think outside the box a little. Make a list of places that have significance for you as a couple.

People get hitched on the porches of family homes, in parks and at lakes, in underground caves, at wildlife refuges and theme parks, in museum sculpture gardens, on covered bridges, at railway depots and botanical gardens. Just make sure you get a permit to keep your nontraditional venue legal.

The dress: There is no law stating that brides have to gather an entourage, try on white dresses and twirl around until their credit cards are maxed out.

You don’t even have to go to a bridal salon if you don’t want to. Stores like White House, Black Market carry lovely formal pieces. Look for white dresses during prom season at department stores. Online retailer BHLDN is disrupting the market by offering couture design for around a grand.

You can also stalk trunk shows and end-of-season sample sales, and comb through sites like OnceWed.com to take advantage of other brides’ rejected or lightly used dresses. If you fall in love with a dress that fits you well in a bridal salon, see if you can buy the sample.

If you do order a dress, keep alterations to a minimum by buying the right silhouette for your body type and ordering your real size. Corset-backed dresses are great for keeping alteration costs down.

The flowers: If you come up with something else to put in the middle of your tables, you could save yourself thousands. Spend your flower money on the bride bouquet, and think of something creative for the rest of the wedding party to carry, like feathered fans, beaded purses or a beautifully wrapped book that is meaningful to you.

The photography: Wedding photographers earn their money, but you have other options. Photojournalists frequently make extra money on the weekends shooting weddings, as do college students in art and photo programs. Some couples book ceremony-only packages and let their guests crowdsource the reception photography with disposable cameras.

Music: Unless you’re really committed to the chicken dance, you can save money by not hiring a DJ. A playlist of your favorite tunes and a friend with a laptop will do just as well, without entrusting the personality of your reception to a stranger.

Wedding planners who share wisdom online point to sit-down dinners, programs and favors as the most overlooked and unappreciated extras that couples waste money on. Your guests will remember your vows and remember the personal touches you bring to make your reception a great gathering, whether it’s a more toned-down family affair or a raucous party with an open bar.

Once you sit down and figure out your priorities, you’ll determine where to best spend your money – even if it’s on the honeymoon.

 

Last-minute gifts don’t have to be lame. Unless that’s the idea.

Some people are just hard to buy for. So you wait and wait, until suddenly it’s crunch time. Here are some not-so-lame gift ideas if you find yourself stuck.

Buying for someone who lives to laugh? Raise the everyday humor ante with these titles.

• You’ll Grow Out of It, by Jessi Klein. The memoir of a tomboy and a late bloomer, from one of Amy Schumer’s head writers.
• American Housewife, by Helen Ellis. Twelve short stories of women under pressure range from the acerbic to the surreal.
• I’m Just a Person, by Tig Notaro. The comedian’s personal tale of four months of tragedy has been known to cause laughter through tears.

Need something for that coworker who thinks they’re Wolfgang Puck?

• Les Moulins Mahjoub Natural Preserved Lemons. Offer to be a taster for new recipes.
• Nielsen-Massey Vanilla Bean Paste. Made with Madagascar bourbon. For intense flavor and those telltale “real vanilla” specks.
• An apron with a measuring cheat sheet on it. Because the metric system is for people with funny accents.

Know an old guy who needs nothing? Maybe you call him your boss. Or “Dad.”

• A wilderness fire starter. He’s not outdoorsy, you say? Doesn’t matter. Males love fire.
• A scratch-off map of the world. He’ll be able to tell young’uns all his travel stories with a visual aid for a change.
• Night Vision Driving Glasses. He’ll feel like a Navy SEAL when he’s going out to get milk after dark.

Passive-aggressive gifts for that woman in your life who gives out backhanded compliments, as in: “That outfit really creates the illusion of a waistline.”

• A cellulite massager. That is all.
• An illuminated makeup mirror. Tell her, “I think better lighting will just make all the difference.” Practice saying it with a straight face.
• A succulent garden containing cacti. Because it’s prickly.

For the children in your life, or just people who live their lives as such.

• Hatchimals. New for 2016, these spotted “eggs” eventually reveal magical creatures inside.
• Kinetic Sand. Hours of fun and less messy than it sounds, too.
• A Buddha Board. It uses water as vanishing paint, like Snapchat for doodlers.

Oh, someone fancies themselves an artist, do they?

• Twistables Slick Stix: Hard to find in stores, these Crayola twist-ups are a dream combo of crayons, pastels and markers.
• Dylusions Ink Spray: You could spray them, but most people stencil, stamp and paint to create dynamic transparencies with these waterproof acrylics.
• Washi Tape: It’s like beauty you can unroll. Washi is an obsession on Pinterest, where crafters use it to mark up calendars, wrap presents and take scrapbooking to the next level.

When you’re last-minute shopping, Amazon Prime and other free-shipping sites can be your best friends, but don’t count out locally owned brick-and-mortar stores for inspiration and unique finds. Just make sure you go in with a list and a plan.

You also might be tempted into grabbing a few things for yourself – just admit it now – but make sure that’s built into your holiday budget, too.

 

 

Payment Plans for Airline Tickets: Smart or Not?

Read the fine print before buying airline tickets in installments

Airfares have been inching downward in recent months, thanks to lower fuel costs and more seats on new planes. The new lower prices are tempting many consumers to consider once-in-a-lifetime trips that would have previously been out of reach for them.

Those same would-be travelers are now facing temptation from a trend that lets people book their flights and pay for them in installments. Basically, you can now put your plane tickets on layaway.

The idea of layaway has been making a comeback lately. When you want to make sure you get an in-demand, big-ticket item, layaway allows you to claim it for a fraction of its final price, and then make small payments over time. When you’re done paying, you take your purchase home. It’s a concept popular with parents planning for holidays and couples shopping for engagement rings.

But does it make good financial sense?

CheapAir.com lets you take out a loan for your flight and pay it back over three, six or 12 months. The business model is aimed at people who don’t use credit cards, but it’s also for those who just can’t afford that flight to France all at once. A similar philosophy is in place at startup site Airfordable.com, where travelers pay a third of their ticket costs up front, then pay the rest off in monthly or biweekly installments.

Major carriers like American Airlines have had layaway-esque programs for years, but they usually require travelers to apply for an airline credit card to qualify.

These new offerings open air travel up to people who couldn’t – or wouldn’t – charge their fares in the past, usually because of bad credit. Buying tickets well in advance is usually a surefire way to get the best deals, too – even if you can’t pony up for the whole amount at the moment.

But when you look a little more closely, paying in installments has its drawbacks. A CheapAir loan is based on your credit history, with interest charged between 10 percent and 30 percent. Airfordable doesn’t charge interest, but it tacks on a flat 20 percent fee. In the end, the average traveler might not be much better off paying in installments than putting tickets on a credit card and paying them off that way.

An even better option is to squirrel away the funds for trips using a targeted savings account. You can even set up your direct deposit to direct a set amount from each paycheck, keeping your travel money separate and insulated from your everyday spending while you watch it grow.

That way, when you do purchase tickets online, you can pay your card off immediately and avoid taking that interest hit. You might have to put off your trip for a while if you want to get early-bird fares several months before takeoff. But it means you’ll have more spending money – or even more nights in a hotel – when you get there.

Paying for airfare a little bit at a time is a great idea when it’s earning interest for you. It’s not so great when you’re tied into a high-interest loan or paying more than you have to for your seat.

 

Protect yourself from debit card fraud

Debit cards – which require a personal identification number (PIN) and deduct money straight from your checking account – offer convenience without the debt-related downsides of credit cards. That convenience can be a double-edged sword, though, because debit cards are tied to your checking account, which most people think of as their everyday spending cash.

If someone uses your credit card illegally, you won’t take a financial hit while you’re getting the situation resolved, and most major card companies have a zero-liability policy on fraudulent transactions. Financial institutions are offering more protection for debit cards, but it’s far less stressful to protect yourself from fraud in the first place.

Follow these tips to keep your debit card use under wraps.

Protect your PIN.

The first and most important rule to follow is to always protect your PIN. Don’t share it with anyone. Memorize it instead of writing it down somewhere. Never give it out over the phone, and always cover keypads with your hand when entering the code.

Whenever possible, use only ATMs associated with your card issuer, and do it during regular business hours. Don’t use an ATM if other people are milling around.

Choose ATMs wisely.

Stay away from ATMs that seem to be in disrepair. Be wary of card machines at convenience stores and gas pumps as well. It’s easier to set up “skimmer” devices on them to steal your information when you swipe or insert your card. To spot skimmers, look for different-colored materials on the façade of the ATM, partially obscured lights, misaligned on-screen graphics, protruding parts on the card reader and sluggish keypads.

Keep balances lower.                                         

Think twice about keeping a large balance in checking or savings accounts that can be accessed via ATM. Check your account charges and balances regularly, and sign up for daily bank alerts if offered. Use debit card controls on your financial institution’s mobile banking app. Many users are now able to activate and deactivate their debit cards as many times as they wish. Compare monthly statements with your receipts.

Write down contact numbers for your checking account holder and credit card companies and keep them separate from your cards. Alert your bank or credit union immediately if your card is lost or stolen, and let them know if you plan on traveling out of state, to prevent potential blocks on your card. Always have other forms of payment on hand when you travel in case this happens.

Like cash and credit cards, debit cards deserve a place in your wallet. They can be a great way to track your spending and keep debt from getting out of control. Just remember that you need to use extra caution to keep your funds safe.

7 Simple Ways to Make Your First Million

(Because once you make your first million you’re bound to rejoice under a waterfall with a rainbow, right?)

If a million dollars’ worth of investments sounds unattainable, you haven’t done your research. A seven-figure portfolio is absolutely doable if you start saving early, make sane lifestyle choices and avoid some common psychological traps.

Don’t limit your thinking to making a mere million over your lifetime. Aim for $10 million. Your only way to get there is to educate yourself about investing from reliable, been-there sources. After that, make a plan and stick to it.

Start with a millionaire mindset.

Building wealth begins in the brain. There are some beliefs and behaviors that you simply must avoid – taking on consumer debt, keeping up with the Joneses, trying to take shortcuts or falling for get-rich-quick schemes. True wealth takes time and hard work.

Adopt a spendthrift lifestyle.

When millionaires are studied, they surprise researchers. They’re not living in upscale neighborhoods and driving fancy cars. They treat their income like a business: spending the least possible and investing the rest. It’s not unheard of for future millionaires to invest half of their household income.

Make money from your hobby.

If there’s something you could do all day, every day, do it. The trick is finding a way to make your passion into a profitable enterprise. You can expect to fail along the way, but getting back up to try again is what separates millionaires from middle managers. Don’t be afraid to spend hours and weekends on your “side business” – it might be your bread and butter someday.

Start saving right now.

It’s all about doing the math. Most millionaires invested in the stock market for a long time, reinvesting dividends and letting compound interest do all the work.

Find an online calculator and figure out how much you’ll need to invest each month to be a millionaire by the time you’re 60, assuming you’re earning an average 7 percent return. You might be surprised.

Keep cool and play the long game.

Impatience is the enemy of wealth. It makes people buy and sell too often, and it makes them abandon promising businesses that don’t explode into success overnight.

It takes a while for investments to start ballooning into real money, and even then, you’re going to want to leave them alone. If it were easy to run your own business, everyone would do it. So take a deep breath and realize you’ve got a long way to go.

Always be hustling for more income.

If you’re not a natural entrepreneur, consider investing in real estate. A rental property that will bring in more money than you pay to maintain it is a great investment. Do some research to figure out the up-and-coming neighborhoods in your area. The quicker you own your rental property outright, the quicker you’ll be looking at steeper profits.

Your 401(k) is your tax-free friend.

You might as well take advantage of the federal government’s wealth-building program: the 401(k) account. First, put in the maximum amount allowed by law ($18,000 a year as of 2016). Leave it in there, earning compound interest, and if your mutual funds return a 7 percent profit while you’re socking away that $18,000 a year, you’ll be a millionaire in 23 years. If you can’t afford to put away $18K a year, put away as much as possible.

Five summer vacation spots that won’t break the bank

Sometimes, you just have to get away and take in some new scenery. Good thing America is full of destinations where you can choose how much you want to spend once you get there.

Yellowstone National Park

A road trip to one of America’s natural wonders will take you past enough landmarks to justify a vacation unto themselves: South Dakota’s Black Hills, the Badlands, Mount Rushmore, Devil’s Tower, the Grand Tetons and more. Take out an almanac and plot different courses there and back for variety.

Just be sure to leave enough time in Yellowstone itself, where you could spend weeks exploring geysers, waterfalls, jewel-toned hot springs, canyons and wildflowers. Bears, bison and elk provide even more photo opportunities in the park.

Lodging in the nearby towns of Jackson Hole, Cody and West Yellowstone is available at varied pricing levels, so book as far in advance as you can. You can also take a tent and camp at one of the 2,000 sites within the park if you reserve it in time. Eating within Yellowstone can be pricey, so pack a cooler with food and drinks at a grocery store outside the park every day.

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

Myrtle Beach is a popular tourist destination, with lots of flights going in and out every day on discount carriers. Look for sales on individual airlines’ sites as well as popular travel booking sites to get the best deal. There is no shortage of beachfront condo-style hotels competing to fill rooms, either.

Once you get there, Myrtle Beach has a lot to offer besides the beach. The world-class Ripley’s Aquarium is the city’s biggest draw, with the Family Kingdom Amusement Park & Water Park close behind. Companies offer ziplining, kayaking, boating and diving for the active vacationer – or you can just sit on the beach and relax.

Boston, Massachusetts

Boston has more history per square mile than any other city in America. Once you get there, you can discover the city’s rich Revolutionary War heritage on foot on your own or with the help of a guided walking tour. Business travel makes downtown hotels close to attractions, like the waterfront and theater district, popular during the week, with better deals on weekend nights.

One money-saving deal to consider is the Go Boston Card, which lets you skip lines and gets you into a long list of destinations at a discounted price. You can choose which kind of card you want based on the number of places you want to visit, or just custom-load one according to your plans.

Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Once you’re out of spring break territory, this Florida beach city calms down into a destination for wide sandy coastlines, open-air dining and water sports like kayaking. The city’s arts district has grown up around Las Olas Boulevard, packed with galleries, boutiques and world-class dining. If you get tired of the city and beach, you can take a boat tour into the Everglades or tour a historic estate.

You can fly into Fort Lauderdale, but you can also check for cheaper flights into Miami and West Palm Beach. Once you’re there, you can take water taxis on the canals or use the city’s trolley service along the beach and downtown. Finding a beachfront hotel in your price range might not be as hard as you think, especially in summer, because of all the competition.

Austin, Texas

Austin has carved out a reputation that stands apart from the rest of Texas. The state capital is also the world’s live music capital, with a thriving cultural scene and welcoming attitude that keeps it hopping year round. Austin has a well-developed bus and light-rail system that connects downtown to the airport. You can also rent a bike and use the city’s system of lanes and trails.

Because Austin is such a popular destination – you’ll want to avoid the South by Southwest festival if you’re keeping costs down – it has a lot of available places to rent via services like Airbnb. There are also affordable rooms at hostels near 6^th Street, ground zero for Austin’s late-night live music scene.

Wherever you end up going this summer, a little research beforehand will save you money on hotels and transportation. But once you’re at your vacation spot, don’t be afraid to ask the locals their opinions on the best diners or dive bars. They’ll steer you to great, under-the-radar places you might not find in your guidebook.

Vacations are about making memories, so concentrate on finding the kind of unforgettable experiences that money just can’t buy.

What does FOMO mean for your future?

The thought of being trapped in your office cube while your friends go to their third happy hour of the week drives you insane.

After drooling over your sister’s tower of artisanal French toast on Instagram, you can’t even deal with your boring bowl of cereal.

Your squad rolling up to that concert without you gives you heart palpitations.

That anxious feeling of not doing enough, not experiencing enough, is called FOMO: fear of missing out.

This 21^st-century social anxiety is fittingly fueled by social media, where everyone else’s carefully edited lives seem to put your own to shame. One friend is in Greece, another is already a vice president at work, and that power couple is making cake pops for the soccer tournament.

FOMO becomes a real problem if it makes you reach for your wallet instead of putting down your phone. Its hold on investors leads to bubbles and then to crashes, like the dot-com collapse in 2000. It can even hurt your career if you’re constantly unsatisfied with your position, leading you to devalue your own work until you can find “something better.”

So what do you do about it?

• Have something to look forward to. FOMO won’t strike as hard if you’re not staring down an empty calendar. So plan some volleyball games or commit to seeing the new superhero movie with friends. It’s cheaper than buying plane tickets.
• Don’t leave money languishing in accessible accounts. If your checking account has more than a few months’ expenses in it, start saving more aggressively for emergencies and retirement. The less likely you are to spend now, the more you can enjoy later in life.
• Don’t let yourself be bored. Pursue that hobby you’ve always put off. Use that gym membership. Keeping busy keeps envy at bay.
• Give social media a break. Your Instagram account doesn’t define you, so realize that it’s not a complete picture of anyone else’s life, either.
• Let it go. You’re never going to experience everything, win every award, get every promotion. Just remember: You don’t have to impress anyone but yourself. Besides, everyone you know is probably jealous of your lifestyle already. They have FOMO, too.